Pencil.



H. C. WELTON.

PENCiL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.9, 1914.

l 1%% @@2q, Patented June 22, 1915.

Figi- Fla. 3. 24 =3 UNITED STATES arana ornron.

HARRY CLARENCE WELTON, 0F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MATTATUCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PENCTL.

Application filed September 9, 1914. Serial No. 860,834.

provements in what are commonly termed clutch pencils.

The main object of the invention is to pro-- vide a simple and inexpensive construction which 1s rellable as well as attractlve 1n appearance. I have particularly sought to avoid the necessity for .the use of solder.

In its preferred form, the invention consists in the combination of an outer tubular member having the interior of one end somewhat tapered, to form an inclined forcing cone. An interior tubular member is slotted at one end to render it elastic or springy, forming jaws for gripping the lead. The inner tubular member, or lead carrier, as it may be termed, is prevented from rotating by means of a washer or ring-like member which fits snugly in the outer tubular member orcasing and engages the carrier by means of lugs acting in the slot. The slotted end of the carrier is contracted by moving the carrier longitudinally so that the end engages the tapered or inclined Wall of the casing.

The carrier is moved longitudinally by means of a rotatable knob having an interior screw threaded enga'gement with the end of the carrier. The knob is prevented from longitudinal movement by an interlocking engagement of the casing which, however, permits rotation of the knob. The knob, may be prevented from accidental rotation by means of a spring clip which ongages the casing and the knob. This clip may also ,serveto hold the pencil in the pocket.

' Figure 1 is a side view of a pencil embodying the improvements of my invention, parts of the casing being broken away to show the connection with the operating knob and also to showthe lead and its carrier. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view-on the plane of line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of the casing alone before the parts are assembled. Fig. lis a side view of the lead carrier detached. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the interlocking washer. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the operating knob. The casing 10 is tapered on its interior at 11 to provide an inclined wall. The carrier 12is slotted at 13 to provide gripping jaws 14; which are adapted to engage the'inner inclined wall 11 of the casing. The washer or ring 15 is'adapted to be forced into the casing and held in place frictionally so that it cannot rotate relative to the casing. This washer is provided with lugs 16 which are adapted to fit into theupper end of the slot 13, sons to prevent the carrier 12 from rotating, but permitting it to move longitudinally in the casing. The upper end of the carrier is provided with screw threads 17 adapted to receive the interior screw threads 18 of the operating knob 19. The hub 20 of this operating knob is adapted to fit rotatively in the upperend of the casing 10, but is prevented from longitudinal movement by the flange or rib 21, which is spun or otherwise forced into the groove 22 in the knob. v

The parts are very readily assembled and are permanently held together by the foreing of the rib or flange 21 into this groove which thus permits rotation but prevents relative longitudinal separation, so that it will thus be "seen' that the parts are held together without the use ofsolder or brazing. The outer end of the knob 19 is preferably knurled, as shown, to afford a better gripping surface. It is also preferably made of substantially the same diameter, or only slightly largenthan the diameter of the casing 10.

The relative rotation of the knob and casing may be retarded frictionally by means of a clip 23 having a spring finger 24 which touches the edge of the knob 19. Th1s clip may be prevented from longltudlnal movement by having a portion indented as at 25 to fit into a groove 26 outside of the r1b 21. This clip may be secured to the casmg' by means of spring jaws 27, and it may be provided with a spring finger 28 for holdlng 1t in the pocket.

What I claim is 1. A pencil comprising a tubular outer casing, a longitudinally slotted lead carr er in said casing, a washer non-rotatably held in said casing and provided with a lug engaging in the slot in the lead carrier to thereby hold the same against rotation in the casing, said lead carrier having a threaded upper end portion, an operating knob seated in the upper end of the outer casing provided with an external annular groove and having threaded engagement with the upper threaded end portion of the lead carrier, and said. outer casing having a portion of the wall thereof indented into said annular groove to thereby rotatably confine the knob to the outer casing and prevent relative longitudinal movement.

2. A pencil comprising an outer tubular casing having a tapered jaw-closing lower end, a tubular lead carrier Within the casing having'a threaded upper end and its lower end slotted longitudinally to provide spaced lead-gripping jaws, a washer non-rotatably engaged in the lower portion of the casing having an inwardly projecting lug engaging in the longitudinal slot between the jaws to thereby hold the lead carrieragainst rotation in the outer casing while permitting longitudinal shifting thereof and an operating knob rotatably secured in the upper end of the outer casing.

3. A pencil comprising a casing, a lead carrier therein, a rotatable operating knob mounted in the upper end of the casing and having a screw threaded-engagement with said carrier, means for preventing relative longitudinal movement of said knob and casing and a clip secured to the casing having a downwardly extending spring finger for engagement with a pocket and an upwardly extending spring finger frictionally engaging said knob for holding said knob against rotation in the casing.

HARRY CLARENCE WELTON;

\Vitnesses W. E. FIELDING, E. A. Boss. 

